Lutie

“ Before Lutie was Convalescent he had the Difficult Italian Arias carted out of the house. The 'Cello Player came to call one Day, and he was given Minutes to get out of the Ward.
By the time Oliver looked in again Lutie was more than ready to pay some Attention to him. She is now doing a few quiet Vocalizations for her Friends. When some one who hasn't Heard tells her that she is good enough for Opera, they have to open the Windows and give her more Air. ”

“ Then Lettice laughed and told Lutie she was a saucy minx, that if she didn’t behave she should be sent out with the field hands. And Lutie, who knew just what that threat amounted to, having frequently heard it before, giggled and further remarked that: “Mars Clinton a mighty fine gemman,” and when Miss Letty went to New York to live, Lutie hoped she wasn’t “gwine be lef’ behin’,” for which speech she received a rap of Lettice’s knuckles, and then mistress and maid descended the stairs, the latter as proud of her young lady, in her best summer attire, as the young lady was of herself. ”

“ On the First Night the mean old Critics, who didn't know her Father or Mother, and had never been entertained at the House, came and got in the Front Row, and defied Lutie to come on and Make Good. Next Morning they said that Lutie had Blow-Holes in her Voice; that she hit the Key only once during the Evening, and then fell off backward; that she was a Ham, and her Dress didn't fit her, and she lacked Stage Presence. They expressed Surprise that she should be attempting to Sing when any bright Girl could learn to pound a Type-Writer in Four Weeks. ”

“ I’ll leave you here to be gobbled up by the British if you don’t move faster, Lutie.” But this threat did not seem to have the desired effect, for, though Lutie hung her head, she looked more cheerful, and Lettice, bending down, regarded her searchingly. “I believe you want to stay,” she said severely. “I believe you want to desert your mistress, Lutie.”
Lutie’s head hung still lower. “No, ma’am, Miss Letty, ’deed I doesn’t; but I wisht yuh wa’nt gwine.”
“Why? You are so scared of Cockburn and his [Pg 231] men, and yet, now there is danger, you don’t want to leave. Ah, I see; it is Jubal. ”

“ Lettice cried. “I’ll come and help you, or she’ll get away. Excuse me, Mr. Clinton, but I must help Lutie with that turkey-hen; she is so wild, and has a brood in the bushes. If she once gets off in the woods, there’ll be no catching her again,” and off she started. Then, after many flappings of her sunbonnet to shoo the turkey-hen, and many beatings about the blackberry bushes, the creature was headed off, and Lutie was bidden to call Anstice Ann to come and help to drive her up. Then Lettice returned to her visitor. ”

“ When she was at Home she would suck Lemons and complain about Draughts and tell why she didn't like the Other Girls' Voices. She began to act like a Prima Donna, and her Mother was encouraged a Lot. Lutie certainly had the Artistic Temperament bigger than a Church Debt.
Now before Lutie started in to do Things to her Voice she occasionally Held Hands with a Young Man in the Insurance Business, named Oliver. This Young Man thought that Lutie was all the Merchandise, and she regarded him as Permanent Car-Fare. ”

“ You must not neglect your social duties, as Lutie says.”
“Ah, there is the bell! She has come!” exclaimed Daisie, starting up, for she and her friend were to be Mrs. Fleming’s guests at an opera party that night.
“Tell Lutie to come in and show me her new gown,” Royall said, dreading to be left to his loneliness.
[Pg 195]
Daisie swept out into the hall, where her obsequious maid was waiting to throw the white opera cloak over her shoulders, and thus she interrupted the colloquy between Patrick and the caller, catching enough of the conversation to understand its import. ”

“ She always knew when Martha got up, however early it might be, for she could see the glow of the fire which Martha made, shining through the old window in the partition between the rooms. When Lutie saw this light she would go to the window, jump up upon the sill outside, and mew for Martha to let her in.
Although it was not yet nine o'clock, and though Ellen would have liked Lutie's company as long as she remained alone with her aunt, she thought she would put her out.
"I may fall asleep myself," said she, "and then you will creep along upon Aunt Anne, and disturb her. So you must go, Lutie." ”

“ There may be other things to learn, and we’ll take your maid as a punishment to you for defying his Majesty’s servants. We will leave your loyal man to your tender mercies.”
Lettice laid her hand on Lutie’s shoulder. “I’d rather you’d leave the maid, sir. It seems to me the man is more devoted to your cause than mine.”
“Oh, Jubal, save me, save me!” Lutie wailed.
“Stop that noise,” said the captain, sternly. “Here, boy, I want you. We’ll have a lark, my men. The man shall fight for the maid. ”

“ Frances's form seemed to dilate, her voice rang like a trumpet. "That's a lie. A cruel, hard, wicked lie. You're going to have your chance, Lutie. Something you've never had before." She dropped on her knees and pressed the frail hands in hers. "Be glad, Lutie. It's all love and beauty; there's nothing else."
For a moment the girl gazed at her fearfully, not daring to believe, and then she reflected the white transfiguration of the Missionary's face, the mystic rapture of her eyes. ”

“ You know what a cunjure woman can do.”
Lutie burst into loud wails. “Oh, Miss Letty! Spare me, Lawd! Spare me! I a po’ mizzible sinner. What shall I do? What shall I do? Oh, Miss Letty, don’ let Aunt Hagar chawm Jubal, please, miss. I die fo’ yuh. I serve yuh han’ an’ foot.”
“There, Lutie, there,” said Lettice, feeling that in her application of Jubal’s methods she had gone too far, “come here. Sit down there.” She put her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “You want to marry Jubal, I suppose. I knew he had been philandering about you for some time. Are you really fond of him?” ”

“ Lutie put both hands to her ears. “Law, Mars Jeems, yuh ain’t gwine in de way o’ dem Britishers, is yuh?” she asked in terror.
“I’m not going to get in their way if I can help it, but they may get in ours. I think, after [Pg 121] all, Lettice, you and Lutie had best go back.”
“Not I!” Lettice returned. “I’m here, and here I’ll stay, Britisher or no Britisher. I don’t mean to have you go alone; besides, Aunt Martha is not well, and I ought to go over as soon as I can, she might need me.”
“Rhoda said they might need me, not you.”
“How self-satisfied some one is all of a sudden! ”

“ Ray Dering was a changed man—purged of his worst fault by sorrow and suffering, and humbly grateful to Heaven that had permitted him to atone for the evil he had wrought.
Lutie Fleming, too, was changed for the better.
She had conquered her love for Lord Werter, realizing at last its hopelessness.
And from hating Daisie Bell with the passion of a jealous rival, she had grown to love her as a sister. ”

“ Tresslyn arose. "I think we would better bring this interview to an end, Miss Carnahan. I shall spare you the opinion I have formed of you in—"
"Just as you please, Mrs. Tresslyn," said Lutie calmly. "We'll consider the matter closed. George comes back to me at my own price. I—"
"My son shall never marry you!" burst out Mrs. Tresslyn, furiously.
Lutie smiled. "It's good to see you mad, Mrs. Tresslyn. It proves that you are like other people, after all. Give yourself a chance, and you'll find it just as easy to be glad as it is to be mad, now that you've let go of yourself a little bit." ”

“ Frances, too, arose, as the afternoon was growing late, and there was still something she intended to do.
"You're awful good to stay with me so long," said Lutie gratefully. "You'll come often, won't you? Why, Miss Benson, I just felt drawn to you the first moment I saw you; but you didn't like me at first, did you? No," shaking her head, "you didn't. You kind o' drew back from me, I could see it. I suppose," with the effort to appreciate another point of view, "that to anyone that looks at things like you got to, being a Missionary—it seems awful for people not to be married. ”

“ Oh, I asked him to come in, but he refused, and went back to Sea View alone. Fact is, he has no eyes for any woman but my cousin, Lutie Fleming. Most absorbing flirtation I ever saw, really,” returned Royall, trying thus early to make a clever move in the game of love, and checkmate Dallas, whom he knew might prove a dangerous rival for Daisie’s heart. ”

“ If he puts up a good fight, we will let her go, and if he doesn’t, we will take her. Give him a sword, Clarke. We’ll have fair play.” But as soon as Jubal saw the sword and felt himself freed from the grasp of his captor’s hand on his shoulder, with one wild yell, he rushed out pell-mell, head over heels, every soldier after him.
“Now’s your chance,” cried Lettice, to the terrified Lutie. “Run, Lutie, run to the attic. I’ll hide you.” And in the same place that had offered shelter to her brother a few days before, she hid the girl, and then she ran lightly downstairs. ”

“ I've been a coward just as long as I intend to be. Take a good look at me, Simmy. If you watch closely you may see me turning into a man."
"Get in," said Simmy, pushing him toward the door of the taxi-cab. "A little sleep is what you need."
"And say, there's another thing I've got to square up with Brady Thorpe," protested George, holding back. "He took Lutie up there to that beastly hospital and slashed her open, curse him. A poor, helpless little girl like that! Call that brave? Sticking a knife into Lutie? He's got to settle with me for that, too." ”

“ The Astute Reader knows what happens in a Family when Mother and the Only Child put their Heads together to whipsaw the Producer. One Day they shouldered him into a Corner and extorted a Promise. Next Day Lutie started to Take.
She bought a red leather Cylinder marked "Music," so that people would not take it to be Lunch. Every Morning about 9 o'clock she would wave the Housework to one side and tear for a Trolley.
Her Lessons cost the Family about twenty cents a Minute. She took them in a large Building full of Vocal Studios. ”

“ It was not long before Lutie followed, and, after much indecision and the turning over of many gowns, Lettice was finally arrayed in a blue tissue, made with a very short waist and a skimp skirt, and around her shoulders was thrown a scarf of India muslin. She descended the stairs demurely, and walked out upon the porch, where her two admirers sat looking daggers at each other.
“Since I leave the neighborhood to-morrow, perhaps you will honor me with your company for a [Pg 81] walk,” said Mr. Clinton. ”

“ When Lutie and Anne came into the room soon afterward, they found George in a state of great distress. He clutched Lutie's hand in his strong fingers and drew her down close to him so that he could whisper furtively in her ear.
"Don't let any one convince you that I haven't a chance to get well, Lutie. Don't let him talk you into anything like that. I won't give my consent, Lutie,—I swear to God I won't. He can't do it without my consent. I've just got to get well. I can do it if I get half a chance. I depend on you to stand out against any—"
Lutie managed to quiet him. ”

“ Royall Sherwood, he betrayed a sudden interest.
“The most beautiful and winning girl society has seen in years,” she said. “But at first some would have liked to put her down, you know, because she was only a poor girl—a New York teacher—though she looks like she was born to the purple. But, of course, her marriage to a Sherwood changed all that. And, really, Lutie Fleming stood by her grandly, and directly made her the fashion. I never liked the little widow, I own; but she has the true Sherwood grit, and never gives up what she sets her mind on. ”

“ You can't spend it as fast as it pours in, child, no matter how hard you try."
His face had fallen again into its sad, granite-like repose, and Frances apprehended in some way that he brooded over the thought of how little his wealth could really bring him. Meeting her glance suddenly, he smiled, and then gazed at her keenly. She looked a little tired. "Come, Miss Benson," he said, rising, "I want you to see my library; Lutie has been exhibiting her jewels, now I want you to see mine."
"Yes, go," urged Lutie. "Maybe you like books ”

“ Let them in, Adora sighed. It's no use trying to be alone in this place. Let them in, but stow away the champagne and bring out the Scotch.
Been looking for you everywhere, Adora, cried Dr. Lister, the handsome and popular young dentist, as the door swung open. Behind him surged Lutie Panola, fat and merry, dressed in violet muslin and resembling an overgrown doll; Sylvia Hawthorne, smart in her shingle-haired, slender, yellow way, in a dress of écru linen embroidered in bright wools; smiling, smoking a cigarette through an amber holder, she leaned on the arm of Rumsey Meadows ”

“ In fact, he pretended to decry the engagement he assumed to be existing between Dallas and his pretty cousin.
“If I had guessed at anything like this, I’d never have brought him to Sea View—never!” [Pg 19] he said. “In fact, I told Lutie so to her face. I said: ‘I haven’t the least idea of his antecedents, and you ought not to encourage him unless he explains everything.’ But she was so infatuated with the fellow she wouldn’t even let me hint such a thing to him, and he’s as reticent over himself as if he were an escaped convict—which he may be, for all we know,” argued Royall. ”